An incredible night at Regis Jesuit
On Friday night, Cherry Creek football played inside Lou Kellogg Stadium for the first time since 2016. When I think of Cherry Creek and Regis Jesuit, football doesn't exactly come to mind. I think of the thrilling boys lacrosse overtime game from 2019 (below) and the 2nd round boys basketball game in 2020.
Despite not seeing Regis in the regular season since 2017, something I stressed all week long is that rankings, records, stats, everything must be thrown out the window when these schools meet, no matter the sport. Rivalry games always have an extra spice, and there is always extra energy in the atmosphere. Things intensify even more when you take into account that the schools are less than 5-miles apart and how many Regis students attended Cherry Creek feeder schools.
This was a game that caught my eye when the 2021 schedule was released for a couple of reasons. Number one, I have never been to a football game at Regis, and number two, Lou Kellogg Stadium does not particularly have enough space for us at CCSN to conduct a broadcast. That meant I would get a week off from my usual role of the play-by-play voice of Cherry Creek football. I was so excited for the opportunity to be on the sideline and simply take in a game without any sort of CCSN-related responsibility. I went to Regis really just to have a good time, and that's exactly what I had.
For those of you who don't know, a little over a week back, I went head-to-head with 3-time Gatorade Player of the Year Riley Stewart (2-time Cross Country and 1-time Track and Field) in a race following a boys soccer game. I challenged Riley to a 100-yard sprint, which I'm sure I'll talk more about in a future "From Ben's Desk." Long story short, I beat Riley in pretty impressive fashion and my speed caught the eyes of a few people at Cherry Creek.
Leading up to game day during our broadcast media class, my speed was a topic of conversation, and Mr. Weiss proposed that I run out the flag at the Regis game on Friday night because I wasn't committed for any broadcast responsibilities. I immediately said yes because that's not an opportunity you get everyday, nor an opportunity that most people get at all.
Some practice and preparation took place at school on Friday afternoon as I trotted with the flag for the first time. When I arrived at the game, I was told numerous times by Assistant Athletic Director Brynn Thomas to stretch because she did not want any tears or strains that could possibly occur to delay the kickoff of the game. Clearly she didn't know that my body is in tip-top physical shape, but I did take her advice and got my hamstrings ready to go.
Shorty after, Mr. Weiss gave me a pep talk like no other can, and the moment I had been waiting for had arrived. The amount of adrenaline in my body was probably the highest it had been since my tee-ball days and I was ready to run faster than I had ever run before.
It was one of the most surreal moments of my life to be able to run onto the field with the team, bearing the prestigious Cherry Creek logo. That's a moment I will remember for quite some time as one of my highlights as a student at Cherry Creek. I have to thank Mr. Weiss and everyone else involved for providing me with the opportunity and especially to Riley Stewart, an excellent competitor. I couldn't have done it without either of them.
Photos Credit: Jonathan Varghese
The rest of the night was fantastic. I was especially excited to see the 81-yard connection from Christian Hammond to the speedy Ky Oday, that's something I had been waiting for all season long. Ky Oday can RUN. It looks like the Bruins receiving core is really hitting it's stride as league play is set to begin next week @ Cherokee Trail.
The Cherry Creek community showed out once again and were loud and proud all night long. I'm still so excited that fans are back and how much spirit Cherry Creek students are showing this year across all sports. I can't wait for the Bruins to return to Stutler in 2-weeks for homecoming against Grandview.
Have a good weekend,
Ben Parris
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